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UX writing Basics

Dive into the fundamental principles of UX writing, where you'll learn how to create text that enhances user experience by being clear, concise, and user-friendly. This section lays the groundwork for all your UX writing endeavors.

Style​

  • Use as few words as possible

  • Use simple, specific, clear, and informative wording

  • Use the same words and grammatical forms, lengths, and styles repeatedly

Tone and voice​

  • Use natural, conversational language and not robotic, funny, cool or clever

  • Address users in second-person (you) and use first-person plural for the application (we)

  • Use gender-neutral language

  • Use polite language

  • Use 'please' and 'sorry' only when necessary, for something inconvenient or unplanned

  • Use positive instead of negative framing

  • Use positive contractions to avoid sounding too formal

  • Avoid using negative contractions as they can appear too informal

their, them, theirs, salesperson
Welcome to this application
X appears when detail view has selected events
cannot, will not
you’ll, we’ve
his, hers, him, salesman
Hey there!
X doesn’t appear if detail view has no selected events
can’t, won’t
you will, we have

Length​

  • Use sentences only when necessary

  • Use short words (3, 4, or 5 letters) instead of long words (8 or longer)

  • Use short, scannable segments, not paragraphs

  • Keep sentences under 25 words (average = 15 words)

  • Keep titles under 65 characters (including spaces)

  • Use info icons only when necessary: Icons cannot contain the same content as the UI

Use of big and small letters (capitalization/casing)​

  • Capitalize the first letter of the first word in a title / sentence / tooltip / menu item / list item / button

  • Capitalize proper nouns, i.e. places, organizations, tools, languages, products and things: Siemens, SIMATIC PCS myexpert, iOS, JavaScript, MindSphere

  • Capitalize named app functions and UI elements: Go to Settings, Allocate users in User management, Press OK

Go to Settings
Press OK
Log in
For more information, see Siemens Industry Online Support.
Go To Settings
Press OK
LOG IN
For more information, see Siemens industry online support.

Common UX wording mistakes​

time zone
log file
log in (as an action)
login (as a noun)
equipment
feedback
training
current
avoid "shall"
Siemens has
34 million / 35 billion
34 million
timezone
logfile
login
log in
equipments
feedbacks
trainings
actual
user shall manage users
Siemens have
34’ / 35“
34 millions